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Wednesday, 10th of March 2010

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe E350 CDI Sport road test report

E350 CDI Sport

Following hotly on the heels of the all-new Mercedes E-Class saloon comes the similarly all-new E-Class Coupe. Faithful to Mercedes’ B-pillarless design, this mid-sized, two-door Merc is for reasonably well-heeled empty nesters. But is it all a bit staid and predictable, or might there be a surprise or two in store?

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Performance

The first surprise is right here. This may only be a 3-litre diesel, but this model’s V6 ‘BlueEFFICIENCY’ motor pushes out some 231hp along with a whopping 398lb/ft of torque from as low as 1,600rpm. Feed all this through a 7-speed auto transmission to the rear wheels and, believe me, there’s some serious oomph on tap. Quoted figures are 0-62 in 6.7secs and a 155mph max, but, due at least in part to all that thumping torque, the E350 feels even faster than that. Furthermore, the engine sounds more like a petrol AMG unit, but quieter, while there’s barely a whisper of wind noise at a relaxed 120mph (on a private test track…).

Ride & Handling

The second surprise is right here. Yes, it weighs 1.73 tonnes and its speed-sensitive power steering almost completely isolates you from feeling what’s actually happening on the road, but for all this the E350 is uncannily lithe and nimble through the bends, while also feeling securely planted and maintaining very good ride comfort. Admittedly, the car I tested was the Sport model which rides on 18-iinch AMG alloys, and it also boasted a near-£500 Dynamic Handling Package (which includes continuously variable damping), but there’s no denying that it drives superbly in almost every respect.

Build Quality & Reliability

Having represented the pinnacle of excellence in decades long gone, Mercedez-Benz has earned itself something of a topsy-turvy reputation in more recent times. However, over the past three or four years standards have again improved. This coupe being so similar to the saloon models, forgive me for repeating what my colleague Craig Thomas has already said about the new E-Class saloon elsewhere on this site. “The current E-Class came in 8th in the latest JD Power customer satisfaction survey. However, the Mercedes brand seems to be slipping in reliability surveys, coming 18th (out of 30) in the manufacturers’ standings and, it’s worth noting, when things go wrong, Mercedes cars are not cheap to fix.”

Safety & Security

It almost goes without saying that the E-Class scores the maximum 5 stars in the EuroNCAP occupant protection crash tests, and that it’s equipped as standard with more safety and security related acronyms than a tin of Alphabetti Spaghetti and has more airbags than a hot-air balloon race. What you may not know about is the Attention Assist system which identifies and warns against driver drowsiness. Or the Pre-Safe anticipatory occupant protection system which activates protective seatbelt and airbag measures if it reckons there’s about to be an accident. Or the Adaptive Main Beam Assist where a camera detects oncoming vehicles and automatically controls the headlamps to prevent other drivers being dazzled; this can increase the dipped-beam range from around 65 metres to 300.

Space & Practicality

If you’re only ever a front seat passenger, and if you’re not particularly adept at packing light, then the E-Class Coupe’s fabulous front seats and commodious 450-litre boot will serve you very well. (The rear seats also split/fold forward for even more loadspace.) Children and shorter adults will also be comfortable in the rear, but my six-foot frame was just a little pushed for leg and knee room, while the sleek but low roofline meant my head had to be tilted at an uncomfortable angle. Still, if you need executive level rear passenger space then there are at least half a dozen other Mercedes model ranges which might suit better, not to mention the E-Class saloon and forthcoming estate.

Ownership & Value

The otr price for this particular E350 CDI Sport model is £35,280. The optional extras fitted to my car (reversing camera, telephony, COMAND multimedia/navigation system and the Dynamic Handling Package (which also includes steering wheel gearshift paddles) bumped the price to £41,084. On the upside, with a Cd figure of just 0.24 this is now the world’s most aerodynamically efficient series production car and this helps it to achieve a combined mpg of 41.5 – very impressive for a 155mph four-seater. CO2 is rated at 179g/km awhile the insurance group is yet to be confirmed, but rest assured this E-Class Coupe is one fine car to drive, to look at and almost certainly will be to own.

Submitted: 28/05/2009 14:59:07

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